Water quality monitoring of Barataria Bay and Lake Pontchartrain Louisiana

A researcher collects a water sample to assess water quality in Breton Sound, LA. Photo: Gene Turner

Louisiana State University (LSU) researchers are intimately familiar with the estuaries that surround them. Since 1994, they have studied the water quality of Breton Sound, Barataria Bay and surrounding coastal waters. River flow into these two drainage basins has been drastically altered and both are now fed primarily by man-made diversions and channels. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has led LSU scientists to extend and increase their sampling efforts in these environmentally sensitive areas.

Classroom Activity: Water Quality
Water quality is monitored by measuring physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a body of water. In this activity, students will visit a nearby water body to investigate how healthy it is by taking scientific measurements and making observations.